The Great Andean Rebellion (1780-83), also known as the Túpac Amaru Rebellion, was the largest
uprising in Colonial Spanish-American history. The large-scale revolt, led by Indigenous husband and wife
duo Túpac Amaru II and the Micaela Bastidas, was an explicit fight for the freedom of Indigenous and
enslaved peoples. This talk explores the early lives, personal and logistical correspondence, and
gruesome public executions of the movement's leaders in order to highlight the broader historical
significance of this ultimately unsuccessful revolution.
Dr. Rachel De La Cruz is an assistant professor of Latin American history and the Director of the Women’s
and Gender Studies Center at Montana State University Billings. She earned her Ph.D. in history from
University of California, Irvine (2020) and has published articles in The Americas, The Journal of
Caribbean History, and American Behavioral Scientist. Her forthcoming book on refugee reception in
1980s Central America is under contract with the University of Wisconsin Press.